Story behind Gov Mutua's first divorce and messy transition to Lilian Ng'ang'a

Mwangi Gathanwa

August 16, 2021 12:09 PM

Governor Alfred Mutua's first divorce ended in a messy court case.

Josephine Thitu, Alfred Mutua and Lillian Ng'ang'a

Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has become the subject of debate following his acrimonious divorce with Lillian Ng’ang’a.

However, this was not the case when Governor Mutua divorced his first wife Josephine Thitu, which was messy in public and in court.

First things first, who is Josephine Thitu? According to her Linkedin page, she is a pharmaceuticals services systems specialist with 17 years of experience internationally and in developing countries.

She has worked in leading health institutions and technical organizations in Kenya, United Arab Emirates, Australia, and the US.

She graduated from the University of Washington with a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) and a Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm.) in 1993.

In 2006, she graduated from Purdue University with a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Her relationship with Mutua became irreparable in 2015 when it ended in court tussle over the custody of their three children and their home in Westlands along Grevillea Road.

Grevillea Road in Westlands, Nairobi Pulse Live Kenya

She claimed in a police statement that the governor had not lived in the house since 2012 and had surrendered it to her.

By the time curtains closed on Governor Mutua’s first marriage in 2015, he had already met Lillian, a former model.

The tourism and hospitality graduate began her career at the Safari Park Hotel and later moved to Kenya Airways before eventually launching her own tour company.

Speaking to the Standard in February 2018, Lilian described Mutua as a charming man and very insistent, adding that his persistence when convincing her that he was the right man for her, won her over because he was determined to make her his wife.

Lessons on divorce

Mutua seems to have learned a few lessons about separation from his first marriage since the recently announced divorce has resulted in a lot less shouting matches, at least not in public.

The two have vowed to keep their future engagements friendly and something Kenyans are wondering how they will manage their multi-million A&L Hotel in Machakos.

Hospitality and tourism were some of their shared passions and Lillian’s involvement in the project was a testament.

“Initially we thought about saving up the money but halfway through we decided to take a loan and complete the project,” he told this writer during a past interview.

Mwangi Gathanwa